Highlights of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission’s Sept. 8 meeting include a briefing of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s new statewide seat belt safety campaign, mention of two regional award wins, approval of a memorial sign dedicated to former Secretary of Transportation Neal McCaleb and improvements to US-69 near Chouteau and to two increasingly traveled corridors on SH-37 near Idabel and SH-7 near Sulphur.
Deputy Director Dawn Sullivan briefed the commission on the department’s newest efforts to encourage seat belt use. The “Never Skip the Click” campaign is a group effort with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, public safety and community advocates across Oklahoma to turn a two-second decision into a life-saving habit to buckle up every time. Oklahoma currently ranks 44th in the nation for seat belt usage. More information on the campaign can be found at drivesafetyoklahoma.com.
Sullivan highlighted two regional awards the department recently won. The first was the Best Product Award from the ITS Heartland Chapter for a new Dynamic Message Sign Control app. The app is a secure, innovative tool that supports both permanent and portable message boards statewide, allowing for faster response and display times.
The department also earned top honors in the 2025 America’s Transportation Awards for its Rural Two-Lane Advancement and Management Plan (RAAMP) initiative. RAAMP received the Safety, Large Project Award in the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials region, recognizing ODOT’s innovative work to make rural two-lane highways safer by adding shoulders and improving conditions in high-risk areas.
(Pictured in front are Sens. Darcy Jech and Jack Stewart, Neal McCaleb’s son Caleb McCaleb and Caleb’s wife, Terri McCaleb and ODOT Chief Engineer T.J. Dill. In back are District 1 Commissioner Ronnie Boswell, District 2 Commissioner Eric Stuteville, District 4 Commissioner Don Freymiller, Commission Chairman Bob Peterson, District 5 Commissioner David Dyson and District 6 Commissioner Bobby Alexander.)
Commissioners approved several memorial designations and sign installations statewide, as designated by the legislature, among them the “Ambassador Neal McCaleb Memorial Interchange” at the I-35 and E. 33rd interchange in Edmond. The sign is in honor of former Transportation Secretary, ODOT and Oklahoma Turnpike Authority Director McCaleb. McCaleb passed away in January 2025, having served the Chickasaw Nation, the Oklahoma Legislature, federal government and the community of Edmond spanning decades.
Also approved was a more than $27 million pavement rehabilitation project near Chouteau on heavily freight-traveled southbound US-69 between US-412 and the Mayes/Wagoner County line, as well as new pavement on the US-69/US-412 interchange ramps. The rehabilitation project is estimated to begin early next year through summer 2027.
In addition, a $17 million project will add shoulders and resurface six miles of SH-37 south of Idabel in McCurtain County. The corridor has seen a significant increase in tourism traffic and is a primary route from Texas into Southeastern Oklahoma. The project is expected to begin early next year and take about a year and a half.
Commissioners also approved another heavily traveled quarry and tourist corridor for SH-7 near Sulphur in Murray Co. The $23 million project will widen the driving lanes and the shoulders as well as construct a new bridge over Mill Creek and add areas for passing. The project is expected to start early 2026 and will take a little more than a year to complete.
The nine-member Oklahoma Transportation Commission, appointed by the governor and legislative leadership to oversee the state’s transportation development, awards contracts monthly for road and bridge construction.
Commissioners voted to award 25 contracts totaling more than $81 million to improve interstates, highways and bridges statewide. The public may access a list of all awarded contracts at the ODOT Business Center or in PDF format Aug. 7 letting and Aug. 14 letting.
Source: press release